Girl on the Right?

Every so often, this meme floats around social media. The picture of five little girls at a ballet lesson is called "Be the Girl on the Right." But do we really want to be that girl? What about the girls on the left?

The girls on the left appear to be trying to learn proper ballet technique. No doubt they are all looking in the direction of the instructor who is showing them what to do. Now, I'm no dancer (the only dance class I ever had was a one-semester modern dance class that I took my freshman year in college to satisy a PE requirement), but I know that ballet has five positions a potential ballerina must learn before she actually dances. It takes practice to become perfect at them.

The girl to the far left—the one at the head of the line—looks a bit stiff but is making a good attempt to get in position. She appears to be looking at the instructor for directions and she's trying. The next girl seems a bit confused about what she has to do, but again—she's looking for instruction. She's not being disruptive. The others aren't bothered by her attempts because at least she's trying. The third girl looks like she's trying hard—maybe trying to figure out what to do, but she appears to be concentrating on the instructor. Likely she'll catch on soon. The fourth girl exudes professionalism. She has both the graceful stance and the outfit. Her face shows concentration. She looks like the star of the class, and I'll bet she worked hard to achieve this. To her credit, she seems to be doing a good job of tuning out the disruptive girl behind her.

Does the ill-mannered girl on the right think she's so special that rules don't apply to her? Apparently  she wants to do her own thing and feel entitled to do so. Why?  Does she think she's in a gymnastics class? Does she not play well with others? Did her mother sign her up for ballet thinking it might make her behave better (if so, it didn't work)?  Whatever the reason, her antics ruin the lesson for those who truly want to learn and waste the instructor's time. Why should anyone want to be disruptive like her? If I were a parent who'd paid for my daughter to learn ballet, I'd be angry that the girl on the right is thwarting my daughter's attempts to learn. 

I feel sorry for the girl on the right. When recital time rolls around, she won't have the skills to be able to dance well, and the other dancers will hate her for screwing up their performance. 

I think it's important that all children benefit from experiences that involve teamwork—whether it's playing on a sports team, singing in a choir, playing in a band, acting in a play, dancing, etc. Children should learn that it's good to be in a cooperative situation with others, where all the participants' talents create a whole that's bigger than the sum of its parts. They shouldn't be encouraged to have an "I'm-gonna-do-my-own-thing-the-hell-with-you" attitude. They can do their own thing on their own time—at home.

I taught drama for many years, so I saw the results of what a group of like-minded students working together could accomplish. I think most of the kids I taught profited from being a part of the whole. (Yeah, I had one high schooler who didn't like her costume and refusd to wear it until I had a meeting with both her parents. And I had a few middle schoolers who wanted to do their own thing, including skipping a performance entirely. But most were cooperative. And I was proud to be their teacher.) 

One variation of the "Girl on the Right" meme adds another line: "There are two kinds of people in the world, you and everyone else." Uh, no. That would only apply to you if you were an insufferable narcissist who didn't give a rat's patoot for others and only wanted to be disruptive or thwart others in the pursuit of their happiness. Marching to a different drummer might be fine, but only when you're in a one-woman band. Actually, there are lots of kinds of people in the world—you're not as unique as you might think.

So, if you want to be the outcast that no one wants to play with, be the girl on the right. But if you want to improve your skills, contribute to the success of the performance, be the best that you can be, and generally be a responsible citizen, be one of the girls on the left.

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OK. Rant over. Stepping off my soapbox now. . . .

[Images used on this post are on numerous sites all over the net. If I knew the creator, I would give credit.]

Making a List Meme

I saw this on Blue Country Magic, who got it from Sunday Stealing, who stole it from Love me some surveys:

1. Do you like making lists? 

Not especially—I don't even do grocery lists, unless you count the print-out of the Kroger e-coupons. When writing a story, I might make a list of important plot points—but those can change as quickly as I can hit the delete key.

2. Do/did you play sports with your siblings? 

My only sibling was born and died four years before I was born, so no. While I may have played croquet with some neighborhood kids over 50 years ago, I was a free-range kid and was thus fortunate enough not to have to play team sports. I didn't even like to watch sports when I was a kid. Still don't.

3. Would you rather go to a University or a community college? 
A university—because it offers a lot more in the way of classes and cultural events. A university offers a lot more educational opportunities than a smaller college. But some community colleges can have doggone good classes.

4. What’s your favorite kind of bread? 
I don't eat bread. Gluten-intolerant and diabetic. But the bread I remember is the "light bread" that my Grandma Ruble used to make. It would be impossible to duplicate that now, because the wheat changed in the 1970s. In 2007, I blogged about the recipe here.

5. What toppings do you like on your pizza? 
I don't eat pizza. See #4 above.

6. What color or design does your shower curtain have? 
My showers have glass doors. No need for a shower curtain.

7. What kind of car does/did your mom drive?
My mother didn't drive.

8. What’s on your cell phone’s home screen? 
I have a Tracfone. It has a generic home screen.

9. Do you like to watch the National Geographic channel? 
I probably would if I had cable or satellite. But I don't.

10. Are you the type of person to correct a survey maker’s grammar and/or spelling?
I have been known to do so, yes.

11. What color is your microwave? 
Black with a beige—no, bisque—top to match the stove. The back-up microwave in the downstairs kitchen is white.

12. Do you have a fan in your bedroom? 
Do you mean the kind that circulates air? If so, yes. Do you mean someone who applauds and seeks my autograph? No.

Note the cat pull-cord on my bedroom fan.

13. Mountain Dew or Sprite?
Neither. They're equally high-fructose nasty. I haven't partaken of sodas for years.

14. Does it rain a lot where you live? 
Not lately. The lawn is drying up  . . .

. . . and my garden is dry, too. The kale I planted here is a lost cause:

15. Do you shop at Walmart regularly? 
Only to buy cat food.

16. Does it bother you when animals lick themselves?
The great thing about cats (and some other species) is that they're self-cleaning. It doesn't even bother me when they lick each other.

17. Have you ever been to a Trader Joe’s?
No. I don't even know where the closest one is.

18. What’s the longest time you’ve ever been stuck in traffic? 
Not more than an hour. And that was on interstate long ago. I don' travel much now, and I avoid interstates whenever I can.

19. Do you wear black a lot? 
Yes. Black goes with everything (except cat hair).

20. Are there stairs in your house? 
Yes. Do I use them? I rarely use the stairs to the attic. I use the stairs to the lower level a couple of times per week. If they didn't have handrails, I'd rarely go downstairs.

21. Have you ever held $500 in cash? 
More than that, actually. But not lately.

22. Do you like onions on your burger?
Yes, but all the burgers I eat are bunless (See #4 above.)

23. Could you ever give yourself a shot? 
Duh! I'm a diabetic. I do that on a daily basis. I can also give shots to horses, if I need to.

My insulin pen and the needles.

24. Do you wear shoes in the house?
Sometimes. But I'm more comfortable barefoot and find it easier to balance barefoot.

25. Have you ever worked as a cashier?
No, thank goodness.

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